Pilot vs Supporting Strategies (2026): Pricing, Features & Verdict
Pilot is our pick, scoring 6.4/10 against 5.8/10 for Supporting Strategies on our Finance Software criteria. Its biggest advantage: higher Compliance score (7/10 vs 6/10). Neither Pilot nor Supporting Strategies lists a free plan.
Last updated: November 2026
Pilot
6.4/10
Pilot is a US bookkeeping, tax, and CFO service for startups and small businesses. It pairs software with human accountants and charges by monthly expense volume.
Supporting Strategies
5.8/10
US franchise network that provides outsourced bookkeeping, accounts payable and receivable, payroll administration and controller services to small and mid-sized businesses.
Feature-by-Feature Comparison
| Feature | | |
|---|---|---|
| Scores | ||
| Overall Rating | 6.4/10 | 5.8/10 |
| Analytics | 6/10 | 6/10 |
| Compliance | 7/10 | 6/10 |
| Cost | 5/10 | 4/10 |
| Customization | 6/10 | 7/10 |
| Ease of Use | 8/10 | 7/10 |
| Integration | 6/10 | 6/10 |
| Scalability | 6/10 | 5/10 |
| Security | 6/10 | 5/10 |
| Support | 7/10 | 7/10 |
| Pricing | ||
| Free plan | No | No |
| Cheapest paid plan | $99/mo Essentials | Contact for pricing |
| Estimated cost for 10 users | $99/mo Essentials | Contact for pricing |
| Features | ||
| Accounts Payable | ||
| Bank Reconciliation | ||
| Budgeting and Forecasting | ||
| Financial Reporting | ||
| General Ledger | ||
| Invoicing | ||
| Payroll | ||
| Tax Compliance | ||
| Accountant Access | Not listed | |
| Expense Management | Not listed | |
Pilot vs Supporting Strategies cost by team size
| Team size | Pilot | Supporting Strategies |
|---|---|---|
| 1 user | $99/moEssentials | Contact for pricing |
| 5 users | $99/moEssentials | Contact for pricing |
| 10 users | $99/moEssentials | Contact for pricing |
| 25 users | $99/moEssentials | Contact for pricing |
| 50 users | $99/moEssentials | Contact for pricing |
The plan that fits each team size, billed monthly, before add-ons and usage charges. Each cost opens that tool's pricing calculator for the team size.
Who Pilot and Supporting Strategies suit
| Audience | Pilot | Supporting Strategies |
|---|---|---|
| Enterprise | 3/10The service targets startups and SMBs rather than large organisations. | 2/10It is a franchise bookkeeping service for SMBs and is not built for enterprise finance operations. |
| Small Business | 8/10The 99 dollar Essentials plan suits small businesses with up to 100,000 dollars in monthly expenses. | 8/10The company aims its outsourced bookkeeping and back-office services mainly at small businesses and has its own small-business industry page. |
| Healthcare | Not rated | 7/10It has an industry-specific offering for healthcare practices. |
| Legal | Not rated | 7/10It has an industry-specific offering for law firms. |
| Mid-Market | Not rated | 6/10Controller services and a dedicated team suit growing mid-sized firms, but how deep the controller work goes depends on the local office. |
| Nonprofits | Not rated | 7/10It offers nonprofit services, including grant management and fund accounting. |
| SaaS Companies | 8/10It offers accrual accounting, a Stripe integration, and R&D credit services that fit SaaS startups. | Not rated |
| Startups | 10/10Pilot's plans are built around venture-backed startups, with pre-revenue discounts and help with investors and boards. | Not rated |
Which One Should You Choose?
Why choose Pilot
- Higher Compliance score (7/10 vs 6/10)
- Higher Cost score (5/10 vs 4/10)
Why choose Supporting Strategies
- Higher Customization score (7/10 vs 6/10)
Pros & Cons
Pilot
Pros
- Essentials starts at 99 dollars a month, which is low for managed bookkeeping.
- Bookkeeping, tax filing, fractional CFO, R&D credit, and stock administration are available from one provider.
- Long experience with venture-backed startups, with discounts for pre-revenue companies.
- Capterra users rate it 4.7 out of 5.
Cons
- Essentials is cash-basis only, with in-app support and no assigned human bookkeeper.
- Core reports arrive by the 10th business day, so last month's numbers land mid-month.
- Full AP, AR, and payroll administration require the sales-quoted Custom tier.
- Some reviewers report delayed reports, occasional service lapses, and high cost for very early-stage companies.
- Built around QuickBooks Online and US tax, so it suits non-US businesses less well.
Supporting Strategies
Pros
- One dedicated US-based team can take over bookkeeping, bill pay, invoicing, collections and payroll administration, so a small business can avoid hiring in-house finance staff.
- Every month the client gets a balance sheet, an income statement and a cash flow statement, and can add KPI dashboards, job costing or inventory reports.
- Controller services include cash flow forecasting, budgets and budget-versus-actual analysis, which is more than basic bookkeeping firms usually offer.
- The team works in common platforms such as QuickBooks Online, NetSuite, BILL, Gusto and Expensify, and it is a BILL Platinum Partner.
- With 20+ years in business and about 100 franchise offices, clients can have local, in-person relationships.
- The two verified Clutch reviews give 5.0 scores for quality, cost and responsiveness, and both reviewers have been clients for several years.
Cons
- No prices are published, so every engagement needs a local quote.
- Because each franchise office runs independently, team quality and controller depth can vary by location.
- Independent reviews are very scarce: Clutch has only two, and the major software review sites have almost none.
- It is not a CPA firm and does not prepare income tax returns, so clients still need a separate CPA.
- No security certifications such as SOC 2 are named on its public pages.
Not sold on either?
Frequently Asked Questions
Pilot scores higher on our Finance Software criteria: 6.4/10 against 5.8/10 for Supporting Strategies. The largest gap is in Compliance: 7/10 for Pilot and 6/10 for Supporting Strategies.
No, neither Pilot nor Supporting Strategies lists a free plan.
